The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is developing a plan for menhaden management now. Massive companies, like Omega Protein, want to see business continue as usual and are using their influence to push the Council to delay action for up to another ten years. We’ve come too far already to let that happen.
Menhaden has been overfished for more than 50 years, and the population is at an all-time low. Further delays could spell disaster for the species as well as the entire Atlantic coastal ecosystem.
The Atlantic ecosystem cannot wait any longer! Take action and tell the ASMFC that menhaden management needs to happen now. The comment period ends April 20th!
Read the full petition from Greenpeace.
Analysis: The petition does not mention that historically, environmental factors are a much larger influence on the size of the menhaden population than the commercial fishery. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Comission (ASMFC) states that it it likely "population fluctuations are driven almost entirely by non-fishery sources." Similarly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has concluded that "environmental factors may be the defining factor in the production of good year classes [of menhaden]."
The ASMFC has also judged the menhaden population to currently not be overfished, with the fishery currently producing eggs at the target level.